Author: Wayne K. W. Yung [ccwayne@yahoo.com]

President of Snake Crane Wing Chun Martial Arts Association, Hong Kong

6 February 2010

The evolution of Wing Chun in last sixty years

詠春拳六十年演變史詠春拳六十年演變史詠春拳六十年演變史詠春拳六十年演變史

各支流的詠春拳都有共識，詠春拳是由『蛇鶴爭暉』演變出來，單從字面看，『蛇

鶴爭暉』的意思，就是蛇跟鶴各自拿出本領來表現自己（即英文 Show off），把

其本能各自各精彩地盡情演繹及發揮，所以大多招式及手法都跟蛇和鶴的形態有

關。也有說法，詠春拳是由蛇跟鶴互相打鬥而演變出來，試問蛇跟鶴何來會互相

打鬥，要打多久，才可被悟出這簡單，時至今天仍然這麼先進的拳理出來。由於

鶴有一雙翅膀，可隨時一飛衝天，可不跟蛇在地面上鬥，而爪更可隨時爪著蛇

飛上天上，再者，若蛇跟鶴相鬥，應不是『蛇鶴爭暉』，而是『蛇鶴相鬥』、『蛇

鶴互鬥』或是『蛇鶴爭鬥』才對，從詠春拳的招式上也看不出有任何蛇跟鶴相鬥

的蹤影，反而有蛇和鶴的形態出現。

There is consensus of the tributaries of the Wing Chun that Wing Chun is evolved

from "Snake and Crane show off their own individually". From the literal view, the

"Snake and Crane show off their own individually" means that the snake out with

crane express their individual own abilities to enjoy their own interpretation and their

wonderful play. Therefore, most of the motions and techniques are related to the

activities of the snake and crane. Also someone believed that Wing Chun are

evolved by observing the snake fighting with the Crane. Logically thinking, how the

snake with the crane to fight each other ? How long they fight before they realize

this is simple, to date, is still out so advanced fighting skills. As the crane has a

pair of wings, ready to soar and will not stick or fight with the snake on the ground.

More, the crane has claw and it can claw the snake and flies to the sky. Furthermore,

if the snake really fights with the crane, there should not have "Snake and Crane

show off their own individaully" statement but have "Snake and Crane fighting",

"Snake and Crane struggling" or "Snake and Crane battling ". From the most

techniques in the Wing Chun, it doesn’t trace any images of the snake fighting with

the crane, but there abound a lot of Snake and Crane forms and shapes.

Snake Crane Wing Chun

從今天的各線及各大支流的詠春拳中，有些仍保留著有蛇有鶴形態，有些還有部

份保留，但有些可說蛇鶴已不存在了（可能兩敗俱傷而死去了），這大多數由於

在傳承方面，經歷數代流傳，習者多帶技學習，從中加以修改，所以時至今天，

支線及支流甚多，已由一門演變成多條主流支線，而且各主流支線仍然繼續分流

下去，這由於詠春拳理甚為簡單，直接，所以可隨習者套用於其本身已學習的派

別功夫上，而又形成另一支線，所以在傳承方面又出現各自各精彩現象，而形成

今天的支流甚多的大門派，並且分散到世界各地去。如當年李小龍也把它的拳理

應用於拳腿腳上，就有李三腳的出現，及後更創出捷拳道來，嚴格來說，其實都

是簡單的詠春拳理。

From today's major tributaries of Wing Chun, some still retains crane and snake forms,

some of which had some reservations, but some can be said that Snake and Crane no

longer exists (may suffer and died from fighting each other). As in most aspects of

heritage, passed through several generations, many learners with skills are to learn,

from which they modify. So to this day, many regional and tributaries, has evolved

into more than a mainstream branch, and the main branch continues streaming down.

Since the principles of Wing Chun are very simple, straightforward, so we can apply

its own with the learners, who have learned some other martial arts. Therefore, they

appear in their own heritage in the wonderful phenomenon, the formation of another

extension,. Today, many of the tributaries of the formation of great martial arts,

and dispersed all over the world. Bruce Lee had also applied the same principles to

the leg and emerge with Lee’s style leg, and eventually created the Jeet Kwun Do

fighting style. Strictly speaking, in fact, Jeet Kwun Do is also come with the simple

Wing Chun principles.

幾代後詠春拳再無膀手幾代後詠春拳再無膀手幾代後詠春拳再無膀手幾代後詠春拳再無膀手

After several generations, BongSau does not exist

很多支線的詠春拳中都有膀手，但他們招式的演繹各有不同，相信是跟上述所提

及到的傳承過程有關。從字面看，這膀手即鶴的翅膀，所以膀手應是摸仿鶴的翅

膀動作而創出來的，但很可惜，時至今天，很多主流支線中的膀手已失去鶴翼的

踪影，這多由於習者作個別修改關系，原有鶴翼的形態可能已被修改，繼續傳承

下去，原來的膀手的作用也可能被淹沒了，如此下去，相信再過多幾代的流傳，

可能詠春拳已跟蛇鶴並無關系了。

BongSau(arm of the wing) is the common technique in many tributaries of Wing

Chun, but they have different expression of this technique. It believes that related to

the aforementioned and the transmission process. Literally, in Chinese, BongSau is

the Crane's arm of the wing and using the hand imitates the crane wing motions.

Unfortunately, until now, in many mainstream branches, BongSau has lost the

imitation and the usage of the Crane’s wings. This is more due to learners by

making individual changes. The original crane wing may have been modified and is

passed along, and the role of the original BongSau may also be changed. If the same

situation continues, after several generations of spreading, the relationship of snake

and crane in Wing Chun will not exist any more. .

在現今同一支流的詠春線中，有些習者在其學習的支流詠春中作少許修改，就以

其姓氏、地方所在或其它名字命名，以姓氏為例，有甚麼莫氏 XX詠春，何家

XX詠春，或是陳式 XX詠春，習者心態是否要將詠春拳歸於其姓氏門下，以留

千古，這些修改是否符合詠春拳理呢？所以在可見將來（十年或三十年後），可

能有過百條甚至乎過千條詠春支線出現，詠春拳的名字也會隨習者修改而變得越

來越長了，習者為何要這樣畫蛇添竹呢，為何不保留原來詠春拳的原始風貌，將

自己的心得或修改，作附加招式補充及解釋，這既可保留詠春拳原有面貌，不致

令這簡單拳法變得複習化及被多邊化，甚至被扭曲了，希望習者多加留意！

Nowaday, in the same branch of Wing Chun, some learners make changes on some

techniques and re-name it as some kind of Wing Chun, with their name or surname, or

even name of the places, suffixed or prefixed. For example with the surname, what

the Mok’s style Wing Chun, Ho’s family Wing Chun, or Chen’s door Wing Chun.

Wing Chun learner’s attitude is attributed their surname to its name under the Wing

Chun to remain through the ages. Are these changes in line with the original

principles of Wing Chun? So in the foreseeable future (20 or 30 years later), may

have had one hundred or even over one thousand Wing Chun branches appeared.

The name of Wing Chun's will become more and more longer as learners make

changes. Why do they do such changes and make Wing Chun with their names?

Why do they not retain the original style of the original Wing Chun? Any

modification, changes, or additional techniques can be packed together as additions

with explanation supplemented. This can retain the original look of Wing Chun and

will not make the simple Wing Chun complicated and multilateral, even distorted.

Hope Wing Chun practitioners and readers to pay more attention while learning!

回想上世紀八十年代，新武俠雜誌總編輯廖廣華先生（華華）於新時報的一篇“詠

春拳一賣開五”（見附錄）中，曾說明當時在香港，詠春拳已有五大支流，但時

至今天已有十大支流，這裡所說的是大支流，還未提及那些未被發掘的支流及一

些附屬的小支流，可見詠春拳傳承到今天已是百花齊放，各自各演繹。

Looking back on the 1980s, Mr. Liu Kwong Wah, chief editor(WahWah) of New

Martial Hero magazine in the HK Times Daily posted an article entitled "Wing Chun

one sale to open five" (see appendix). It had stated at that time in Hong Kong, Wing

Chun had five major tributaries. Today, there are ten branches, referred to here is the

largest tributary. There have made no mention of the tributaries that have not been

excavated and some small tributaries of the subsidiary. Nowadays, the success of

Wing Chun becomes flourishing in different styles and individually with various

interpretations.

PaoFaLin Wing Chun

30 年前詠春拳情況年前詠春拳情況年前詠春拳情況年前詠春拳情況（（（（1980 年代香港年代香港年代香港年代香港））））

Wing Chun situation 30 years ago (in1980s Hong Kong)

_________________________________________________________________

附錄 : 於上世紀八十年代於香港時報刊登

Appendix: in the eighties of last century, published in Hong Kong Times Daily

_________________________________________________________________

正身正身正身正身、、、、偏身偏身偏身偏身、、、、阮奇山阮奇山阮奇山阮奇山、、、、刨花蓮刨花蓮刨花蓮刨花蓮、、、、蛇鶴蛇鶴蛇鶴蛇鶴

YipMan, KuLo, YuenKeiShan, PaoFaLin , Snake Crane

詠春拳術一賣開五詠春拳術一賣開五詠春拳術一賣開五詠春拳術一賣開五

Wing Chun one sale to open five

源流手法各有所本源流手法各有所本源流手法各有所本源流手法各有所本

Each has their own origins with different ways

詠春拳在本港武林，也是一個名門大派，學習的人甚衆，發揚得相當不錯，唯是，

詠春派拳術在本港，竟然一賣開五，共有五支流派之多，源流方面，亦人說人殊，

莫衷一是。

Wing Chun martial arts in Hong Kong is a big family. Practitioners are numerous

and develop very well However, Wing Chun martial arts family in Hong Kong, it

has five major tributaries. Even a sale to open five, five tributaries have their own

origins.

在香港教授詠春拳術者，共有如下五大支系，分別是：葉問宗師的正身詠春，亦

有梁贊家鄉古勞的偏身詠春，阮家阮宗莊，阮奇山的廣州詠春，劉達生的刨花蓮

詠春，另外還有一支較少人聽聞的蛇鶴詠春。

In Hong Kong Wing Chun masters, there are mainly five branches, namely: the

YipMan Wing Chun front face of the body, also KuoLo Wing Chun side of the body,

YuenKeiShan of Guangzhou Wing Chun, LauDaSang of PaoFaLin Wing Chun, in

addition to, not commonly heard, SnakeCrane Wing Chun.

一賣開五詠春拳術，以發揚而言，以徒學者之衆而計，自是以葉問一系正身詠春

最為武林人士熟知。而論拳套術器械之多，則以劉達生的刨花蓮一系詠春為最。

Among the five tributaries, YipMan Wing Chun martial arts has numerous

practitioners and it is most familiar in the martial arts community. In terms of the

number of hand forms and weapon forms, they are well equipped with the LaDaSang

PaoFaLin Wing Chun.

筆者於佛山採訪廣東省武術賽時，曾與佛山武林中人談論武事，他們說出了一段

武林秘事，那是當年劉達生曾以詠春拳的一式標指擊落當時在佛山享譽極隆的一

個武林人物兩棵門牙，賽後劉達生恐遭報復，離開佛山，那個名滿佛山的武林高

手，亦為免此事張揚，回鄉暫避，並禁止且目擊的徒弟宣揚此事，故一直成為秘

密。

I had visted one martial arts tournament in Foshan, Guangdong Province, and had

discussed with stories in the FoShan martial arts community. Hearing a secret story

about that LauDaSang had used a palm to shot down two front teeth of a very famous

martial arts senior. After that, LauDaSang left Foshan to prevent from any trouble

arisen , and that senor also left to go back to his born place quietly. The senior also

did not allow his disciples to spread or even to discuss the matter. And, it has

become a secret.

提到刨花蓮詠春這一系拳術，由於百代以來，總是傳而不教，故無法跟其源流。

Talking about PaoFaLin Wing Chun, they only passed the skills down to the

successors, but did not mentioned too much about the lineage in the last hurdred years.

It was very difficult to trace back with their origins.

現在香港，亦只知有朱頌民及朱忠等，而武林中人亦見過此系，根據得悉此系詠

春拳器械拳套有十幾二十套之多，亦異常靈活。

Nowadays, in Hong Kong, only ChuChunMan and ChunChung and some martial arts

pracrtioners have known this tributary that. accordingly, there are more than ten to

twenty sets of equipment in this tributary and the skills extremely flexible.

詠春拳另一支系古勞偏身詠春也是梁贊先生晚年所創，拳套只有一套內包沉橋、

標指、小念頭一套直落，打法亦以散式為主，這也是有其的特點。

Another branch of the Wing Chun is KuoLo Wing Chun is mainly for the side of the

body, and is created by Mr. Leung Chan in his later years. He packs the SiuLimTau,

ChumKui and BilGee together within a package. It mainly contains a lot of SanSik,

individual set of techniques, and it has also its own characteristics.

詠春拳再有一系阮奇山的廣州詠春拳，自七十年代郭運平及梁大釗從穗到港，亦

有設館於九龍。

There is a series of YeunKeiShan Wing Chun, Guangzhou Wing Chun. In the

1970s, Kwok Won Ping and Leung Tai Shek brought it from Guangzhou to Hong

Kong, and established one school located in Kowloon to teach.

發揚得最多的是葉問正身詠春，傳人之多難以計數。

Upholding the most is YipMan Wing Chun, and the practitionersare as much as

difficult to count.

另有一脈為佛山之隱蔽拳術名為蛇鶴詠春，出招極為狠辣，此脈旨在保存其藝而

不發揚，亦無備著難于多述矣。

Another hidden tributary of Foshan's Wing Chun martial arts known as SnakeCrane

Wing Chun. The techniques are very wild and crude, this tributary is mainly to

preserve the arts, but not promoted openly. It is difficult to see and is difficult to

describe any more.

（華華）

(WahWah)